Trish & Phill's Tandem TransAmerican

Tour 2003 

Jul 23 Mitchell - Prineville 50mi

We got a motel room last night but there was no Air Conditioning in the room so we took cool showers and lay on the bed wet and tried to sleep before we got hot again.

We set off this morning before the sun was up, we rode in the dark for about half an hour. We had a good rear light (white flashing, very intense) reflective clothing and Triangle on the trailer, but no front light. There was some moonlight and the sun was close to getting up so it was not too bad top see in where we were going but it was not the best situation.

Yesterday I had parked the bike on it's stand at the side of the road about 2 metres from the edge as we stopped for a rest. A huge truck had come by and the draught it created had sucked the bike into the direction of the road and it had fallen over. I keep my reading glasses on the handlebars and they must have fallen off, I noticed about 4 miles up the road that I had lost them but at that stage there was no way in the world I was going to go back and look for them - Trish will have to do the reading for me till I get some more. I think I also lost the small rear light I have at that point  because I had used it earlier in the morning. 

The early start had us over the top of Ochoco Pass  (a climb of about 2000 feet) before breakfast. From there it was basically a down hill ride into Prineville well before lunch. This time we found the Motel had Air Conditioning.  We actually enjoyed the ride today.

Again the temperature is over 100'F, the Cafe TV is tuned into the weather station and there are wild fires not far from here started by lightning.

Prineville is a nice little town and we have dinner in a pizza joint. watching out the window I was suppressed to see so many old cars (in great condition) go by. I later found out that there was a car show on in the next town.

We have been discussing what priorities we have when we get home recently, that's obviously a sure sign that we are getting close to the end of the ride. I will be sad to have it end really as the routine we are in has become our life style and I'm comfortable with it. Not sure Trish follows my train of thought on this topic though.

We had a great surprise today. One of the guys Marty who had left the group a while back turned up. We had just stopped at the side of the road for a break when a car pulled up behind us, out jumped Marty and his wife Anita.

We thought we would not be seeing him again because we had heard he had pulled out of the Adventure Cycling group to go home.   He had in fact continued on to Florence and completed the ride on his own. Readers may remember Marty having purchased a set of Dominoes and I had shown him how to play the game , he liked the game and was ever ready to play it to while away an hour or two - but he never won. He told us he had got the dominoes out in his Motel room last night and showed his wife Anita the game AND STILL LOST !!

 It was really great to catch up and hear a happy ending for him. He's talking himself into possibly buying a Tandem so Anita can ride along with him now. Ironically he was at the end of the ride a day after Mike had completed the ride in Florence but neither had known the other was so close by.      

Page owned & maintained by Trish Collins email to  trishphill@aapt.net.au.  Last Updated 28/07/2003